The present invention relates to oil-based wellbore fluids (e.g., oil-based drilling fluids) and systems and processes for using them in a subterranean formation in oil and gas recovery operations.
Oil-based drilling fluids and techniques for drilling boreholes in subterranean formations to recover hydrocarbons (e.g., oil and gas) are well known to those skilled in the art. In addition, a number of less toxic oil-based drilling fluids have been proposed as evidenced by, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,787,990, 5,096,883, 5,189,012, International Publication WO 83/02949, and IADC/SPE 11355. While a number of commercially available, low toxicity base oils are inexpensive, they have not acquired FDA approval for direct use in food. On the other hand, the dimer of 1-decene has obtained such FDA approval, but its prohibitive expense significantly restricts its use in drilling operations.